Royal Institution Engineering Masterclass

Demonstration of how radar works for school children

Dr. Matthew Ritchie, Dr. Francesco Fioranelli and Dr. Matthew Ash from the EE department and Dr. Kevin Chetty & Dr. Herve Borrion from the Department of Crime Science were involved in the Royal Institution UCL Engineering Masterclass series on Sat March 14th. For the event the Soprano, a UCL-developed FMCW radar, was used as a real time demonstrator. The system was setup and used to explain the Doppler effect and radar technology to school children from around London. A real time display showed the MTI (Moving Target Indication) of individuals running/walking in front of the sensor. In addition Doppler from these motions was shown to emphasize how radars can perceive movement.

The event was a great success and the researchers are looking for more opportuntities for educational outreach events where the Soprano system can be used.